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Making Spirits Bright

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Working from home is weird. Like, don't get me wrong, it's also great – but it's weird, too. It's weird in that without an office to be at every day, I have to force myself to get up at a normal, adult time in the morning. I have to force myself to wear pants. I have to make up reasons to leave the house. And if I don't do that last one, I sometimes go days without seeing anyone who's not Nathan or coming at me all pixelated through a computer screen.

It goes without saying, then, that I am what you might call "isolated" – & without other people to keep me entertained, I have to think up ways to entertain myself, to keep myself from falling into loneliness ruts, to encourage myself to wear pants. I have to think of ways to keep my spirits high, to bring a little enthusiasm & energy to everyday life. They include:

Playing dress-up: I clean up kinda nice, but without an office
dress code (in which "office" is "my apartment"), I don't necessarily
need to clean up at all. Still, the days when I make the effort to
shower & put on makeup & wear clothes I like & accessorize & just
generally look nice are the days I feel best about myself & about my
work, like I'm a real person & not some lazy asshole spending her
days in sweatpants on Twitter. (I work in social media, by the way. I
don't just fritter around online all day for fun. Usually.)

Talking to strangers: Apparently this isn't a thing folks do in
New Jersey. People always look at me like I've sprouted a third eye when
I try to chat them up at places like the grocery store & in
coffeeshops. I never want to have, like, in-depth conversations with
them – stranger danger, y'all! – but I do like to try to make
conversation with randoms, just to make those temporary connections & try to brighten people's days & let them brighten mine. Even stoic, brusque Jerseyans have been known to crack when subjected to my friendly Midwestern demeanor. The Ohio force is strong in this one.

Indulging in things YOU probably can't do: Can you take a power nap on your lunch hour (in your own bed, no less)? Can you have a quick one-woman dance party to de-stress when the workday gets tough? Can you light candles & incense in your cubicle for aromatherapy? Can you watch Netflix while you work? Can you, for that matter, wear leggings as pants to your office? I try to be grateful for the little luxuries that my work-at-home life affords me, rather than focusing on the less-than-stellar parts of it. Which brings me to my next point...

Appreciating what I've got: Each day, Nathan & I tell one another the
five best things about our day. We started doing it a year or so ago,
when he was underway in the middle of the sea & the only way we
could keep in touch was by email, & we've carried it over into "real life" because it's a pretty good way to keep myself grounded & appreciative.

Planning the next big thing: Knowing what comes next not only keeps me sane – it keeps me entertained. I find that I'm always looking forward to some upcoming event, be it a vacation, a holiday, a day off, or a visit from a friend. When I don't have something to plan for, I find myself bored & a little bit lost. Plus, who doesn't like having something awesome to prepare for? PARTYYY.

Whether you work from home or not, tell me: What are your little tips & tricks for loving life just a little bit more?